Catalog and Raw Data from the Analysis of the Source of the Douix and Other Gallo-Roman Sanctuaries in Eastern France

Abstract

Examining human behaviors in the past, particularly ritual activity, can provide insight into ritual practices and religious beliefs today. Erdman's project, under the guidance of Dr. Peter Wells, examines the role of ritual offerings as devices for communicating with the supernatural world through their deposition into sacred watery places in the Gallo-Roman Period (50 BC - AD 450). A freshwater spring, known as the Source of the Douix, in Châtillon-sur-Seine, France was used as a focus for comparison to other sites. The quantities of recovered votive offerings and the near continuous use of the site over two thousand years contain data that can help to answer the following questions: How are the objects deposited in sacred spaces, particularly those in water, used as communicative devices? Do the types of objects change over time, and if so, how can these changes be explained using archaeological evidence? Evidence from the Douix was then used for multiple levels of comparative analyses, such as comparison to other local sanctuaries, regional watery sites (other springs, rivers and lakes), and regional sanctuaries associated with mother goddesses. Detailed presence/absence analysis records the types of objects at each location, the materials or media represented, and the types of deities at each location. Through detailed comparisons of such data, it is possible to recognize patterns of offerings from place to place, and such patterns will help illuminate the purpose of the offerings.